The village finds and declares that sex offenders are a serious threat to public safety. Given the high rate of recidivism for sex offenders, the village believes that in addition to the protections afforded by state law near schools, day care centers, and other places children frequent, reducing opportunity and temptation is appropriate to minimizing the risk of re-offense to better protect the children in these public places. This subchapter is a regulatory measure aimed at protecting the health and safety of children in the village from the risk that convicted sex offenders may re-offend in locations close to their residences where children tend to congregate or be regularly present. It is the intent of this subchapter not to impose a criminal penalty but rather to serve the village’s compelling interest to promote, protect, and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the village by creating safety zones around locations where children regularly congregate in concentrated numbers wherein certain sexual offenders and sexual predators are prohibited from establishing temporary or permanent residence and wherein access by certain sexual offenders and sexual predators shall be restricted and excluded.
(Ord. 07-2013, passed 12-12-2013)